On Saturday, June 29, Salt Lake Community College’s Bruin Parade Band marched down the Taylorsville Dayzz parade route along with the SLCC cheerleaders.
Taylorsville Dayzz is a three day festival that provides games, performances and fireworks for the community.
“In this parade, we like to play classic rock and roll for our music,” says Craig Ferrin, the director of the band. “We enjoy helping the people along the parade to smile and have a good time.”
The Bruin Parade Band is made up of college and other students from many areas throughout the Salt Lake Valley. Band members are between 16 and 40 years old.
Taylorsville Dayzz is the second of 10 parades in which the band will perform this summer. Other parades include the West Valley WestFest and Riverton Towne Days parades.
“The Bruin Parade Band participates in the Taylorsville Dayzz parade every year, and I love it,” says clarinetist Jonessa Goates who has been playing with the band for five years. “I grew up in Taylorsville so it brings back great memories.”
The members of the band vary every year.
There are between 50 and 60 participants this year. The band rehearses on Wednesday nights during June with one rehearsal in July.
“The rehearsals are a lot of fun as the band rehearses in the attached neighborhoods to the South City Campus,” says Ferrin.
According to Ferrin, many families and children come out of their homes to watch the rehearsals and the band passing by the neighborhood.
“The principles of the band are that they have to sound great with their music and they ensure that everyone in the band and everyone in the audience has a good time,” says Ferrin.
The band’s practices pay off because they get to be seen and heard by a large amount of people. This year there were hundreds of people watching the Taylorsville Dayzz Parade.
“So many people come people come out to watch the parades it’s awesome,” says Goates. “The more people there are for us to entertain, the more fun it is for us.”
On July 4, the band will perform in Murray, West Jordan and Sandy parades all in one day. For festivities around Pioneer Day, the band will be performing in Draper and Bountiful, at the Float Preview Party at the South Towne Center and in the Days of ’47 parade in Salt Lake City.